Talladega Mayor Assaulted

Larry Barton

Benny Green

The 74-year-old mayor of Talladega has been hospitalized after he says he was beaten outside a barbershop by a man wielding a baseball bat.  Mayor Larry Barton said that he pulled up to the Vestavia Hills barbershop in his car Saturday morning and a man in a hood and trench coat began pounding him with the bat.  Barton said the assailant "told him  he had to kill him."  Vestavia Hills police said on Sunday that a suspect was in custody and a felony charge is expected to be filed today.

A published report Sunday says anger over a sex tape may have been behind the alleged assault of Barton on Saturday outside a barber shop where he works in the Chaba Heights section of Vestavia Hills.

Al.com is reporting Barton, has identified his alleged attacker as 71 year old Benny Green,  who is Barton’s former co-host on the radio program “In the Interest of the People.”

Green and his wife, the story goes on to say, are in the process of divorcing, and Green’s former divorce lawyer, Steward Springer, said Green had motivation to be angry with Barton because “Barton was caught on hidden video having sex with Green’s wife.”

Barton denies he was involved with Green’s wife.